Tyreek Hill’s wife says marriage was marred by physical abuse, divorce file shows
Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill is accused of shoving his wife on the floor, ripping her hair out and trying to punch her stomach while pregnant, according to court documents from the couple’s divorce proceedings that were released and reviewed by the Miami Herald on Tuesday.
The court records, which included an amended divorce petition filed on behalf of Hill’s wife Lakeeta Vaccaro, were unsealed Tuesday by Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Spencer Multack after several media companies, including the Herald, requested the records be released. The 23-page petition was filed on Sept. 4 and detailed eight alleged domestic violence incidents between the couple.
“Throughout the marriage [Hill] repeatedly committed acts of physical violence against [Vaccaro] including but not limited to spitting in [Vaccaro’s] face, attempting forcibly to remove [Vaccaro’s] wedding ring from her finger, grabbing [Vaccaro], pushing [Vaccaro], shoving [Vaccaro], pinching [Vaccaro], throwing [Vaccaro] to the ground, twisting and tugging on [Vaccaro’s] intimate body parts, ripping [Vaccaro’s] hair, grabbing [Vaccaro’s] jewelry and clothing, and physically cornering and restraining [Vaccaro] against her will including while she was pregnant with the parties’ minor child and on the day before [Vaccaro] gave birth to the parties’ child,” the petition says.
The Miami Dolphins declined to comment Tuesday about the allegations against Hill.
READ MORE: After years of chaos, Tyreek Hill says he’s cleaning up his life. ‘I lost my true self’
The couple got married without a prenuptial agreement in November 2023. Problems in the marriage quickly escalated after Hill told Vaccaro that he had changed his mind and wanted her to sign a postnuptial agreement, according to the petition. Vaccaro refused.
Hill then became “increasingly aggressive, violent, and demanding,” leading him to file for divorce the first time in January 2024, according to the document. The NFL star disputed he was seeking a divorce, saying on X that “We are happily married and gone stay that way.”
Around the time, police were called to Hill’s mansion in Southwest Ranches in Broward County over a domestic dispute during which Hill screamed at his wife and “smashed” an unlit cigar in her face, according to a police report. Hill is 31; Vaccaro is 29.
READ MORE: Police report details Tyreek Hill’s argument with wife, cigar incident. Read it here
Vaccaro told investigators their argument was over her refusing to sign the postnuptial agreement and said she felt “bullied, threatened and verbally abused” by Hill. Davie police officers didn’t make an arrest “due to conflicting stories and no evidence that a crime had occurred.”
“[Hill’s] repeated demands that [Vaccaro] sign the postnuptial agreement were accompanied by physical violence, verbal humiliation, threats of divorce and demands that she leave the house,” the petition says. “This continued during the pregnancy.”
READ MORE: Dolphins star Tyreek Hill faces divorce after cops called to his high-rise condo
The couple had a daughter in November 2024. Vaccaro filed for divorce in April, after police were called to the couple’s luxury Sunny Isles Beach condo over a domestic dispute.
Hill’s attorney Michael Gottlieb slammed the allegations as “vexatious and patently false,” telling the Herald that there was no corroborating evidence to back the claims up.
“These allegations have not been reported to law enforcement nor been investigated,” Gottlieb said. “We adamantly deny them and are confident that Mr. Hill [will] be cleared... in court.”
Vaccaro’s attorney Evan Marks, who penned the amended petition, said the allegations in the document “speak for themself.”
Previous allegations of abuse
This isn’t the first time allegations of violence have surfaced surrounding Hill. When at Oklahoma State University, he pleaded guilty to throwing around his ex-fianceé “like a ragdoll” and was ordered to take anger-management classes. When playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, Hill was the subject of a criminal investigation that was ultimately closed without charges after his 3-year-old son broke his arm.
As a Dolphin, Hill was accused of slapping a charter boat worker after a day of deep-sea fishing off Haulover Park. Hill was also sued by an OnlyFans model who had enrolled her son in Hill’s football camp. She accused Hill of “violently” charging at her during a “friendly football lesson” at his Broward mansion, breaking her leg.
Eight alleged incidents
Vaccaro alleged eight occasions of physical and verbal abuse at the hands of Hill, according to the divorce filing:
Jan. 11, 2024: While at their Southwest Ranches mansion, Hill became “angrier and more aggressive” during an argument about a postnuptial agreement, court records say. Hill then threw Vaccaro’s items around the room and pushed and shoved her to the floor, later ripping Vaccaro’s necklace from her neck, according to the petition. She had a cut and a bruise.
Jan. 20-21, 2024: The couple was staying at Hotel Paramour in Orlando when Hill threw Vaccaro’s belongings around the room as she was packing, the filing says. Hill “attacked” her, throwing her to the floor, twisting her intimate body parts and ripping her hair out, according to the records.
Jan. 30, 2024: Before the Pro Bowl, the couple argued about the postnuptial agreement. Hill shoved a marijuana cigarette in Vaccaro’s face and told her to get out of the house, locking the door behind her, according to the filing. Vaccaro called a locksmith and hid inside a bathroom. Hill “attacked her violently,” the petition says, with Hill pushing, shoving, restraining her and trying to remove her wedding ring.
May 1, 2024: While driving around Miami Beach at 10 p.m., Hill screamed at Vaccaro, ordering her to get out of the Bentley he was driving, according to court documents. He pulled over and shoved Vaccaro out of the car and drove off, records say.
May 15, 2024: Hill told Vaccaro’s mother that he had friends who would “hurt” Vaccaro and that she was “not safe,” according to the filing.
July 12, 2024: In a hotel room in Bristol, Conneticut, Hill yelled at Vaccaro, who didn’t want to go out because she was pregnant and not feeling well. Hill, court documents say, threw Vaccaro’s phone at her, hitting her in the face, tried to punch her stomach and ripped some of her hair out.
Nov. 24, 2024: Leaving their Sunny Isles Beach condo for a Dolphins game, Hill got mad, “lost control” and spit in Vaccaro’s face, court records say. She gave birth the next day.
April 7, 2025: Hill entered Vaccaro’s home office, “put his hands” on Vaccaro and shoved her, also throwing her computer, documents say. He ordered Vaccaro to “get the f--- out of my house” before grabbing their infant daughter and pushing Vaccaro’s mother to the floor, according to the filing. Hill then took the baby to the balcony of the condo, which is on the 35th floor, and threatened to leave.
Sunny Isles Beach police were called to the luxury building. Vaccaro’s mother told officers that Hill was “very aggressive and impulsive and that he has anger issues and she is afraid for her daughter...,” according to a police report. Hill told officers that he had “the same rights as a father as her as a mother, and I can take my baby whenever I want.” Officers didn’t make an arrest.
Could NFL probe Hill?
In a Sept. 4 letter to Marks, Vaccaro’s attorney, Seth Schneiderman, another attorney representing Hill, said the amended petition was a “calculated and malicious attempt to weaponize the judicial process for improper financial gain.”
“The claims are demonstrably false, exaggerated, and distort prior events in a manner that suggests bad faith litigation,” the attorney said in the letter. “These defamatory assertions — particularly those referencing alleged incidents... will be thoroughly refuted at trial.”
Schneiderman warned Marks of “significant liability” tied to the updated petition.
“Should these baseless allegations trigger an NFL investigation, suspension or loss of income for Mr. Hill, the reputational and financial damage will be substantial and may be actionable,” Schneiderman said. “Such harm would not only affect Mr. Hill but also Mrs. Hill and the parties’ child.”
It is unclear if police are probing any of the domestic violence allegations outlined in Vaccaro’s divorce petition. However, even if there is no criminal investigation, the NFL has the authority — in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement — to independently investigate allegations in a civil matter and discipline Hill under the league’s personal conduct policy.
The NFL generally does not disclose which players are being investigated. Any NFL investigation likely would need Vaccaro’s cooperation, and Marks has not responded to three Herald inquiries asking if she would cooperate. But TMZ reported that Marks met with league officials in mid-September.
If the league decides that discipline for Hill is warranted, there would be a hearing before Sue L. Robinson, a retired Delaware judge who is the league’s disciplinary officer.
Hill will miss the remainder of the season after sustaining a dislocated knee and a torn ACL in the team’s Sept. 29 win against the Jets. It’s not yet known if he will be ready for the start of the 2026 season.
Hill is under contract to the Dolphins for next season, but his $29.9 million salary is not guaranteed, and he’s unlikely to return with that salary. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has said that Hill would like to return at a salary that is acceptable to both the player and the team.
Miami Herald staff writer Barry Jackson contributed to this report
This story was originally published October 7, 2025 at 2:21 PM.
